For the Love of Doughnuts
by ragingscooter
Summary: Gail has to go through Nick for a doughnut.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Wrote this on request from maryaun, I still can't believe I wrote a story based on a doughnut. Enjoy. Italics are text messages.

For the Love of Doughnuts

It seemed like parade would never end and Gail was having a hard time keeping focus on Sergeant Best. It wasn't Frank's fault, no she blamed Nick…well Nick and the bottle of tequila she drank the night before. She stole a glance in Nick's direction, he was dutifully taking notes and nodding along with whatever Frank was saying…dammit she should be paying attention; hopefully whoever she is riding with is paying attention otherwise she might be in trouble.

This thing with Nick was messing her up, it was interrupting her sleep, it was affecting her work and most importantly it was ruining her appetite. Gail hated when anything interfered with her love of food. She hated that she had to see him every day, he wasn't even trying to steer clear of her at least Andi had the decency to give her space. It wasn't that she wanted Nick back it was that she was mad that she had ever let him get close. It dawned on her that her fellow officers were getting up, morning briefing must finally be over. As luck would have it Nick was walking in her direction, "Noooooo!" She screamed in her head. She could not handle him today, she would suffer through Chloe and her chipper babble all day over even half a shift with Nick.

"Peck you are with me today." She heard from behind her.

"Oh thank you cheese puff god." Gail thought as she turned to face Oliver, his smiling face a welcome sight over Nick's eternal guilty one. "You're driving." She said as she headed for the door thankful that she could avoid any interaction with her ex.

The nice thing about riding with Oliver was that he always seemed to sense when Gail needed to have quiet time as she liked to call it; however today he didn't seem to be picking up her 'leave me the fuck alone' vibe that she was radiating. "So Celery had this pot of something on the stove last night and it smelled really good, like some sort of vegetable soup…so I had a bowl. Turns out that it was a potion for a client that is trying to get pregnant so I might be expecting a little bundle of joy in nine months…are you even listening to me Peck?"

"Huh…yeah Celery made soup." Gail said as she checked her phone.

"Uh huh you kind of missed the part where you are going to be an aunt but you still have some time to plan my baby shower."

"Right…what?!" she turned to face him when he started laughing.

"This is one of the reason why I love riding with you Peck." Oliver teased as he flipped on the lights for a guy who just ran a red light.

The rest of the morning had gone pretty smoothly, a few traffic stops, a public disturbance call at a shopping center over an over-priced purse. Gail was currently texting her new…friend was the closest word Gail could describe Holly.

_Dr. Smelly Bones: How are you feeling today? You and Jose were getting pretty close last night._

_Officer Awesome: Huh?_

_Dr. Smelly Bones: the tequila Gail, you were almost half a bottle in when I left for home._

_Officer Awesome: Oh that, yeah we parted ways when I discovered that he was as empty as I feel._

_Dr. Smelly Bones: That is very poetic but untrue… well I'm sure that the bottle is empty but you are not, maybe a shallow at times but not empty._

_Officer Awesome: You think I'm shallow?_

_Dr. Smelly Bones: No Gail I think that you are going through a rough time. You have every right to feel hurt but someday you will be able to look at Nick without wanting to turn him into a eunuch. _

_Officer Awesome: But it is such a comforting thought._

_Dr. Smelly Bones: You can't see it but I am rolling my eyes._

_Officer Awesome: Somehow I knew you were._

_Dr. Smelly Bones: You want to come over tonight? I am making lasagna and there is a Firefly marathon on._

_Officer Awesome: You had me at lasagna._

_Dr. Smelly Bones: Good deal, okay you go serve and protect I will see you later._

_Officer Awesome: Later nerd_

"Hey there's a smile I haven't seen in…uh…I have never seen you smile like that." Oliver said jokingly but Gail knew there was truth in his words. Holly was the one bright spot in Gail's life over the last two months. Whether it was their impromptu cheesy movie marathons or Holly dragging her to the batting cages or roller rink Gail couldn't deny that Holly had become a fixture in her life. And then there was the kiss in the coat check closet…

It was time for lunch and Oliver had heard about this new bakery slash deli that claimed to have the best doughnuts this side of the Rockies and that was something that Gail and Oliver both needed to see and taste. As it turns out they were not the only officers from 15 division that had heard of the place as Gail saw another cruiser in the parking lot. It wasn't until they went inside did she see who the cruiser belonged to, there in line at the counter was Chloe and Nick; so much for her good morning. "I am just going to wait in the car." She said tersely to Oliver as she started to turn around but he grabbed her arm gently.

"Nope I don't think so. I need my snack buddy to properly grade these so-called best doughnuts." Oliver said in his most serious tone.

"Fine but we are ordering to go."

He nodded, "Fine."

The place was fairly busy but somehow they ended up in line with the other two officers. "Nice day we are having." Chloe said brightly as Gail tried to ignore them by examining the contents of the display case. They really did have a fine selection, they had at least a dozen different types of bearclaws and fritters, there were raised doughnuts and fried ones, she lost count of the number of glazed ones; there were fruit and jelly filled and even ones with bacon on them. Gail was going to have a hell of a time picking out which ones she wanted.

Gail was deep in thought over which bacon one looked better, the maple bar or the apple fritter when she felt someone touch her arm. "What do you want?" she said icily not looking up from the display case.

If the coldness of her words affected him Nick didn't show it, "I was hoping that we could talk."

"Why? I don't have anything that I want to say and you sure as hell don't have anything I want to hear." Gail said under her breath, she really didn't want to cause a scene, not here; not a place that she hoped to return to many times.

Nick grabbed her arm to pull her up to be eye level with him, "We need to talk about us."

She snatched his hand off of her arm and seethed, "There is no _us_…I don't think there ever was."

Nick shook his head, "Come on Gail don't be like this."

Gail contemplated getting out of line to escape this conversation but the bakery had filled up and she was not missing out on these doughnuts. "Don't be like what Nick? Don't be mad that you claimed you loved me but didn't? Don't be upset that you chose one of _my _friends over me? How should I be Nick? Should be _happy_ to see you?" Gail said pointedly.

Nick looked a bit flustered at her statements, "I…I…I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You might not have meant to but you did, and quite frankly I don't give a fuck anymore."

Nick face went from flustered to downright confused at her words. "You don't? Since when?"

The sudden change in mood surprised Gail as well, "As of right now. I am done wasting my time over this, over you. You are not worth my time."

"You don't mean that." Nick urged as the line moved forward.

"Oh but I do. See over the last few weeks I have had time to think about what matters in my life and you don't have a place in it." Gail said coolly. "See I have moved on I think you need to do the same."

"Gail…"

Gail watched as Chloe and Oliver were trying unsuccessfully pretending to be enthralled by the cream puff display but Gail didn't care if they overheard. "Don't Gail me, you wanted out and you are out. Do I need to spell it out for you? I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE."

Nick shook his head, "I am not sure that you are even capable of love Gail."

It was a low blow and Nick knew that, Gail scoffed, "Just because I found it impossible to love you doesn't mean I can't love. I love lots of things Officer Collins, I love my job, l love cheese puffs, I love the feeling of a hot shower first thing in the morning, I love Oliver's stupid jokes, I love doughnuts and I love Holl…hollandaise sauce." Wow where did the Holly thing come from? That was a thought for later. She could see Oliver giving her a thumbs up as he shoved a chocolate glazed doughnut in his mouth and Chloe let out a happy little squeal. "Now if you don't mind I would like to order my doughnut." Nick stepped aside dumbstruck as Gail reached the counter where she gave the flour covered baker a genuine smile, "I want one of each please."

She carried the three boxes of heaven out to the cruiser with Oliver teasing her about her baked good addiction but she didn't care. Her phone pinged to alert her to a new text message.

_Dr. Smelly Bones: I see dead people._

Gail let out a loud laugh as she climbed in the car and responded quickly.

_Officer Awesome: Last time I let you watch __M__.__Night Shyamalan nerd._

_Dr. Smelly Bones: Aw…fine. We can watch Star Wars instead. Day going better?_

_Officer Awesome: Yep, new doughnut shop in town and I think I have figured out a few things. We can talk about it over dinner._

_Dr. Smelly Bones: I look forward to it…ooh a new set of bones just came in. Talk to you later doughnut girl._

Gail returned her phone to her pocket as she bit into a maple bacon bar and couldn't help the smile on her face, she didn't know if it was due to the doughnut or a certain pathologist but it didn't matter either way she was happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Gail dramatically dropped her head to her crossed arms on her desk and groaned. Ever since they had pulled over an erratic driver and found out that he was on the top ten most wanted list her day had gone to shit. You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork required to process a guy that had nineteen warrants out for his arrest. She peeked over the top of her forearms to look at the clock. It was already twenty minutes past the end of her shift and the mountain paperwork in front of her mocked her, she knew that it was going to be a late night.

Gail reluctantly pulled her phone out of her pocket and composed a quick text to Holly.

_Officer Awesome: Looks like I will be stuck here a while_

It was only a few seconds later that she received a reply from the doctor.

_Dr. Smellybones: Oh no! I guess I can keep a plate warm for you. Do you still want to come over? Or should I bring the cheesy pasta goodness to you there?_

Gail smiled in spite of her growing frustration as Oliver dropped a few more folders on her desk.

_Officer Awesome: I should be able to escape by 9 maybe 10. Keep a plate warm for me and don't you dare start Firefly before I get there!_

_Dr. Smellybones: I wouldn't dare. I know better than to watch Captain Tightpants without you. See you later._

Feeling better, Gail sat up and grabbed the top folder and got back to work.

Time seemed to drag on forever. It felt like she had been faxing documents for days. The ancient machine whined and groaned as she fed paper through it. For the first time since lunch she had time to process the day. It hadn't taken long for word of her and Nick's blowup at the bakery to spread throughout the precinct; she had gotten a few glares from a handful of the female officers that belonged to the Officer Collins fanclub but she'd also received a few high fives from Dov, Chris, Traci, and an enthusiastic and unwanted hug from Chloe. But at the moment she really didn't want to think about Nick, she wanted to think about how she almost blurted out that she loved Holly. Did she love Holly?

Gail leaned against the fax machine as it chugged away and rubbed her temples with her thumbs, trying to relieve some tension. How did she feel about the woman that in such a short time had become 'her person'? She asked herself. In all honesty, Gail didn't have an answer but she was determined to figure it out.

"Okay, Peck. Think it through," she chided herself. "Lay out the facts. 1) Holly is number one on your speed dial and has been for almost as long as you have known her. 2) You talk to her every day even if it is only to share a funny bumper sticker that you saw. 3) You genuinely want to hear about her day. 4) You trust her…like actually trust her." That thought gave Gail pause. When was the last time that she really trusted anyone? It was scary to think of how much Gail had let down her guard around Holly and it truly amazed her that the doctor hadn't bolted once she got to know the real Gail. Instead, she had stuck around and seemed to, believe it or not, actually like the real Gail.

"Okay, so she is my friend…a good friend but that doesn't mean that I have 'I want to see you naked' feelings," Gail reasoned in her head as she loaded another eighty pages into the fax tray. "But you did start to kiss her back at Frank's wedding," her brain interrupted, "And you couldn't stop thinking about how soft her lips were or how they tasted…" Gail groaned and nodded to herself. She hadn't been able to get that damned kiss out of her head. They had both been a little drunk, and surely it hadn't meant anything to Holly. But her brain wasn't done torturing her yet, "Also, you dream about her. You think about her long legs, and you tend to stare at her lips with some frequency. Not to mention the ogling of her breasts and your admiration of her smile…" _All right, fuck you, stupid brain! _Gail chastized herself._ We were trying to forget about all that._ Okay, so maybe Gail was slightly attracted to Holly…

So…she liked her as a person and there was kinda, sorta an attraction to her but that didn't mean that Gail loved her, right? But the more Gail thought about it, the more it made sense.

For instance, she hated it when women flirted with the doctor (and it happened a lot. Holly was clueless that she was hot). And when Gail went out on the dates her mother set her up on she found any excuse to cut them short to go see Holly. Her day didn't feel complete until she saw her or heard her voice and there was also how she felt the need to be touched by Holly. Gail wasn't a touchy feely person but for some reason she liked the contact with the doctor, she liked how they fit next to each other on Holly's couch, and how Holly would pull Gail's legs on to her lap and let Gail rest her head on her shoulder. She really liked how Holly would massage the tension out of her shoulders and back as they watched some weird documentary. She loved how when it got too late to go home that Holly would let her sleep in her bed, and how on the nights that she woke up in the brunette's arms she didn't have nightmares.

Gail stood up a little straighter as the realization hit her. She felt safe with Holly. The facts were that, yes she liked Holly, trusted Holly, was attracted to Holly, hated it when others wanted Holly for themselves and felt safe with her…fuck she was in love with her.

Gail prepared herself for the incoming freak out but to her surprise, it didn't come. In fact, she'd felt calmer than she had in a long time. She loved Holly…was in love with Holly. This news should have sent her running but she felt good. It was if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. But then the weight came crashing back. What if Holly didn't feel the same way?

If there was one thing Gail knew about herself, it was that she wasn't good at putting herself out there when it came to relationships but this time she knew that if there was going to be a chance for them to be together, she was going to have to risk getting hurt.

Finally the fax machine stopped squealing and she gathered up the papers and headed to her desk, only to see Chloe take a bite of the last of her three-dozen donuts that she had bought earlier in the day.

Her blood boiled. She'd been saving that one for Holly; it was her favorite! Chloe must have seen the murderous look in her eyes because she took off running out of the bullpen calling out over her shoulder that she was sorry.

Gail sat with a huff and then inwardly laughed. She must really love Holly, she never saves donuts for anyone. She quickly reviewed the paperwork, making sure it was done correctly, and once she was satisfied, Gail turned off her computer and headed to the locker room. She changed into her street clothes in record speed and formulated her plan on how she was going to make Holly hers.

It was a simple plan that required one stop to be made before going to Holly's townhouse. Before she knew it, she was prepping to knock on Holly's door but then remembered that she had a key to the house. She let herself in and was overwhelmed by the smell of delicious pasta and garlic bread. She inhaled deeply, dropping her bag on the floor by the door before setting off to find Holly. Walking into the kitchen, Gail found her swaying to a song on the radio as she pulled a plate from the cupboard. Gail felt like an idiot for not realizing her feelings for this woman sooner. Her stomach did a little flip as the back of Holly's shirt rode up when she reached for another plate, all the while mesmerized by how the brunette's hips moved in time with the music. How had it taken her this long to accept that she wanted Holly? That she desperately needed to see this woman naked?

Gail tried to rid the not so innocent thoughts from her mind as she cleared her throat to let Holly know that she wasn't alone anymore. Holly stiffened at the sound but the frown quickly turned into a smile once she saw that her intruder was Gail. "I thought you would be a lot later," Holly said as she set the plates down. "This is great, the lasagna is almost done."

They talked about their days as Holly plated their dinner and Gail set up the show on the DVD player. Gail tried not to appear as nervous as she felt when they finally sat down on the couch, their knees touching, her pulse quickening at the sensation.

How Gail managed to eat without choking was beyond her. Every time Holly laughed or made a comment about the show, Gail's body reacted in a frustrating way. It would appear now that Gail had accepted her feelings. It had opened up a floodgate of emotion and physical ache for Holly.

Finally, Gail couldn't take it anymore and she grabbed the remote, pausing the show just when Inara was placing a kiss on the drugged and unconscious Captain Mal.

"Hey! This is one of my favorite parts!" Holly exclaimed as Gail got up and went to her bag.

"I need to give you something," Gail said nervously as she pulled out a small cardboard box. "Remember how I mentioned that new bakery the other day?"

Holly smiled and nodded, "Sure, you said something about them boasting the best donuts in Canada and how you were going to have to test their assertion. Did you bring me back one?"

Gail nodded slowly but still clutched the box tightly in her hands. "I went there today with Oliver and I ran into Nick…"

The smile on Holly's face faltered and shifted to one of concern, "Did he say something to hurt you, Gail?"

"He wanted to talk and I told him that I didn't want to, that I was over him."

Maybe Gail imagined it but it looked like Holly perked at her words. "Are you? Are you over him?"

With a nod Gail continued, "I told him that I had moved on and didn't love him…he accused me of being incapable of love…"

"That fucking rat bastard!" Holly fumed and Gail's eye's widened at her reaction. "How could…he is…I will kill him!" She jumped up from the couch and walked with purpose to where Gail was standing with the box. "Nick is the biggest fucking idiot in the solar system," Holly said firmly. She held Gail's gaze a moment before softening, "You are so full of love, I see it every day. Don't think for a millisecond that he knows what he is talking about because he is wrong." Holly placed her hands on Gail's shoulders and looked deep into Gail's eyes. "You, Gail Peck," she swallowed hard before continuing, "you are amazing and someday someone will be so lucky to be loved by you."

Gail felt tears welling in her eyes from her friend's touching words. In that moment all she wanted to do was pull Holly to her and into a kiss and never stop but instead shoved the box into Holly's stomach. "This is for you," she managed to choke out.

Holly removed her hands from Gail's shoulders and accepted the box as she took a step back. A smile emerged on her face as she held up a maple bar that had glasses piped in icing on it, laughing when she noticed it also had a raised eyebrow. "Is this supposed to be me?" She teased.

Gail nodded but took the donut from her, "Yes, but that one is mine. Yours is still in the box."

Holly rolled her eyes and pulled out the other donut. It had yellow frosting to make hair, bright blue eyes, and was finished with an icing smirk. Holly held it up and chuckled, "You want me to eat you?" It took Holly a moment to realize what she had said, "That came out wrong…I meant the donut you not eat you you…not that I don't want to eat you you." Holly looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes, "Oh god kill me now."

Holly was rambling, and Gail couldn't take it any longer. She took one step forward and grabbed Holly by the back of her neck and pulled her into a searing kiss. It took a moment for Holly to start kissing back but when she did, Gail knew that there was no other person that she ever wanted to kiss again. The feel of Holly's lips caressing hers was overwhelming and when their tongues came into play (Gail didn't know who escalated the kiss but she didn't care), Gail's walls crumbled around her and all she wanted was Holly.

It was Holly who pulled back first and was breathing hard as Gail took donut Gail from her hand and set it back in the box. "To answer your question, lunchbox, I would really like you to eat me but maybe after a date or two. Tonight, you will have to settle for eating donut Gail, just like I will have to make do with donut Holly," Gail said seductively as her fingers glided down Holly's arm.

"You want to date? Me? You want to date me?" Holly clarified, her voice a tad bit shaky.

Gail nodded and placed a kiss on Holly's jaw. Now that she had tasted Holly's skin she was addicted to it. If she kept this up, no doubt she would continually have to remind herself to keep her hormones in check and wait for a few dates before she took that next step with her. "I want to date you. I want to kiss you. I want to be with you," Gail asserted, punctuating each statement with a kiss.

Holly pulled Gail flush with her and when their eyes met, Gail could see that she wasn't alone in her feelings. There was so much love in Holly's eyes that it scared her a little bit.

"I want to be with you too," Holly said just above a whisper. "I have since I met you."

Gail placed a light kiss on Holly's lips, "It took me a little longer to figure it out but trust me when I say that I want to be with you and no one else." They held each other for a little while longer before Gail led them back to the couch, lightly pushing Holly down first so she could climb onto her lap. "Now eat donut me and then we can get back to kissing," she said with a manner of authority.

Holly smiled her perfect lop-sided smile, "Yes ma'am," and then proceeded to make yummy noises that sent a shot of heat directly to Gail's center. Maybe they wouldn't need a couple of dates before Holly got to taste non-donut Gail.


End file.
